ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT – 2/2/17

TROUT FISHING

The Trout fishing will start in earnest at the beginning of March! Watch this space folks, because we have great plans for the Trout stocking for the 2017 season .We have some cracking fish ear marked with our suppliers, so expect good things! Keep in touch via telephone 015394 36541 or social media to find out exact dates and further details!

PIKE AND COARSE

Words cannot describe what a fantastic winter Pike season it has been so far. I literally have a mountain of catch returns in front of me, so please excuse me if you don’t get a mention in this report. But please keep them coming, with pictures and we will mention your catch when we can. Once again in general terms we have had a reasonably trouble free winter weather wise and this has allowed anglers, both season ticket holders and day ticket fisherman a like to keep coming on a regular basis and get the time in when they can. But one thing is for sure the Pike fishing has been very consistent from the start! At the beginning of the season, lures and trolled deads outscored the static baits, however over recent weeks and with a huge drop in water temperature it has been the other way round, as the Pike became lethargic.

So just going through some of the recent captures. Season ticket holder Dan Whirtty has been a lucky boy fishing static deads from the boats, recording Pike of 13, 18, 20 and 21lb respectively. Sean Whitaker landed a nice brace, a 14lb and 19 pounder. Ian Bland had 3 to 17lb on lures and deads from the boats. Old Geoff “fish on” Birtwistle has reported an 18, a 2x 12, a 16 and a 19 pounder, plus jacks on static deads .  H.A.C member John Bradley reported a 10 a 14 and an 18 pounder to similar tactics.

Last years Grand Slam winner Ian Spence took to the boats and again reported a great multiple catch of 3 doubles to 15lb. Geoff Barton nailed a cracking 23 pounder. Tom Wignall lure fished from the boats and landed a lovely 17 pounder. Terry Blake reported a 16 pounder, again from the boats. Paul Mattinson reported 8x doubles over 2 trips , best 17lb. I even managed a days pleasure fishing myself last weekend and landed a cracking brace. A double and this immaculate 20 plus pounder! (see attached photo)

From the bank Stewart Mclandlish landed a true monster off the boathouse stretch on Herring. I have seen the photos, but unfortunately he did not have scales, but believe me this fish was an upper twenty at least, if not bigger! Those people that have seen the photos of this fish will know what I am talking about? Callum Hudson from Leeds fished the point opposite the ticket office last week and landed a brace of doubles to 17lb. H.A.C member David Black landed a cracking 21 pounder on static deadbait. Another H.A.C member Harry Poxon landed a 14 and a 17 pounder, again from the bank. Ben Ralph from Skipton landed a 17lb 9oz specimen off the car park. Also fishing off the car park season ticket holder Ian Driscoll landed a jack, a 16 and a 20lb’er again on deads.

The guided Pike fishing trips have been going very well this winter with only 2 blank days since the start of October. There have been numerous doubles and a good few twenty pounders caught by clients too. So if you fancy a great day out on the water with a guide, please do not hesitate to contact me. It could be the best days fishing you have ever had! Trips will be available until the end of March, so book early to avoid disappointment. Just as an example, Tom Buxton had a great day last weekend, landing an upper double and a personal best 20lb plusser ( see attached photo). Well done to Tom, cracking fish, hope to see you and your dad again soon mate!

Don’t forget we are now open year round for general Coarse fishing. Day tickets are £10 and the use of groundbait and maggots is permitted. Long range feeder tactics are best during the cold weather and the best of the fishing at present is off the point opposite the ticket office, the boathouse stretch on the Eastern bank and the Grubhole in the North basin. But expect these locations to change as the weather warms and expect all the Coarse species to be at their maximum weights prior to spawning. Happy days!

For daily updates, catches, reports and news please either telephone us prior to your visit or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Tightlines!

David Coleman M.I.F.M

FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT – 2/11/16

TROUT FISHING

The autumn fry bashing is in full swing here at Esthwaite and although the Trout fishing has been challenging of late, there has been a few good reports.

Peter Stone,, a visiting angler from London fished from the boats with a sinking line and Cats Whisker combo’ to record 3 nice Trout to 2lb. Ian Farrell from Widnes also employed similar tactics from the boats , using Zonker  and Sparkler patterns on a Di-3 line. He landed 2 nice fish about 1lb 8oz each.

John Peacock from Preston fished legered worm from the boathouse banking on the Eastern bank and landed 4 fish about a pound each. Meanwhile James Dean from Kendal fished mini Rapalas and tempted 3 Trout to 2lb 8oz. However best reported Trout of late was taken by Dave Ainsworth who fished a 7 gram Toby from the boats. He landed a beautifully conditioned grown on fish of 3lb+.

Prospects for the forthcoming weeks look very good as long as the weather holds, but it is a reminder to all, that the Brown Trout have to be released when caught until 15^th March!

PIKE AND COARSE

Well what can I say but “wow”, what a start to the Pike season we have had this year. There have been numerous reports of doubles and 20lb+ specimens  since we opened on 1^st October. Pike have been coming out left , right and centre. From the bank as well as the boats and on a variety of methods, including lures and deadbaits, both static and trolled.

Paul Brindle from Ramsbottom fished from the boats and landed a 20lb 13oz Pike on the fly, with a few back up fish too.

Drew Mcwilliam from Barrow has visited the fishery a couple of times and fished trolled deadbaits from the boats and has reported fish of 14, 18 and 25lb respectively. Also from Barrow and fishing from the boats, Mark Carding and Jack Harris have reported fish of 13, 14, 2x 15, 18 and a 20lb’er on lures and static deads.

Season ticket angler Ian Driscoll from Wigan has reported fish of 12, 15, 16 and 22lb from both boat and bank ( see attached photo). Another season ticket holder Martin Broadhurst has reported numerous fish to 18lb. Geoff Birtwistle has reported fish to 18lb on static Mackerel baits.

Mark Billington has reported plenty of action too with fish to 17lb. Patrick Milby from Ulverston fished the car park peg from the bank and landed a cracker at 21lb 2oz on Pollan. John Whittal reported fish on lures and deads to 20lb+ and Delwyn Hobbs from Liverpool fished deads off the car park to take a magnificent 21lb’er (see attached photo). There’s also been many, many more!

For those that are daunted by large stillwaters or who are new to Pike fishing, we offer a top class guiding service with 30 years experience on Esthwaite Water. We have been very busy on the guiding front since the start of October with plenty of satisfied customers landing the fish of their dreams and only one blank day since the start of the season. To find out more about the guiding service  please contact Dave on 015394 36541.

The general Coarse fishing has continued to be excellent with plenty of quality bags of Roach, Rudd, Bream, hybrids and Perch reported on feeder and sliding waggler tactics. Don’t forget folks we are open year round now for the Coarse fishing. Day tickets cost just £10 and the use of Groundbait and maggots are permitted. The boathouse stretch on the Eastern bank has been in good form. Also the banking opposite the ticket office as well as the car park pegs have been throwing up consistent sport. From the boats, anglers have been doing  brilliantly with the slider and dropshotting for the Perch has been red hot with fish to 2lb+ reported. Esthwaite is growing in popularity for the Coarse fishing and is becoming “The” place to visit in the North of England. So for all those Coarse fishing fanatics out there, no more travelling to Loch Ken. Its right here at Esthwaite in the heart of the Lake District!

For up to date information please telephone or email the fishery. Also feel free to keep up with daily reports on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Tightlines!

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M

FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT 19/8/16

In the Trout fisherman’s calendar , August is always a tough month! The Trout at this time of year disappear into the depths to find the sanctuary of cooler water. Presentation with fly and spinner is difficult when the fish are residing 20 feet below the surface, however worm can be held in this zone all day long and this interesting fact has been reflected in the catch returns of late!

11 year old Tom Pearson from Surrey was on holiday and went out on the boats with his dad Peter for the day. They both fished worm in the deeps and landed 4 nice Brown Trout to just under 2lb. Scott Carter from Lancaster also fished deep with worm and recorded 5 Trout to 2lb+. Also Dave Carter from the West Midlands took 4 nice fish , including a nice over wintered fish of 3lb on similar tactics.

Anthony Jones from Glamorgan  fished fly on a very fast sinking line from the boats and managed a nice brace of brownie’s to 2lb! Also Frank Armstrong had a great result on similar tactics recording 3 nice fish to 1lb 8oz , again from the boats!

Spinner has accounted for the odd fish lately, but early mornings and evenings have been best for fishing up in the water! Indeed Dave Linton from Hull fished an early session from the far bank, opposite the ticket office and landed a nice brace of Trout, one tipped the scales at 3lb 11oz!

As far as the Trout fishing is concerned though, roll on September, we need some good spell’s  of wind and rain to get the fish up on the surface again. Anyway September is nearly here, so expect sport to improve no end!

The Coarse fishing has been on fire recently with many bags reported in the 40-50lb region of mixed, Roach, Rudd, Bream , Perch and some cracking hybrids! Long range feeder tactics reign supreme, however 3 lads fished the car park peg last week with pole and recorded over 100lb of fish on float and maggot combo, between them! They had Roach to 2lb, Perch to 2lb, hybrids to 3lb 9oz and Bream to 5lb+. Don’t forget we are open year round now for general Coarse fishing and day tickets are only £10! Also Carl Hunter and his mate from Barrow fished the boathouse stretch last week and recorded over 50lb to Carl and his mate had 69 individual fish in a single session. They took Roach to 1lb 4oz, Perch to 1lb 4oz and hybrids to 3lb 8oz!

To find out more on the fishing, please follow us on Facebook ,Twitter and Google+. Or you can contact Dave Coleman, fishery manager  on 015394 36541.

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M

FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT – 9/7/16

With the much needed cooler conditions, the Trout fishing is improving no end, with fish back in the top 10 feet of water. Water temperatures have dropped by 10 degrees F in the last two weeks. Surface activity is good now, fly life is in abundance, with plenty of Buzzer, Sedge and Damsels coming off the water. Best top of the water action is still early mornings and late evenings, but given the right conditions fish have been rising freely throughout the day too. The Coarse fish have spawned now and fry bashing is also in full swing!

Johnathon Palmer from Grange Over Sands enjoyed a terrific evening on the buzzer, landing 4 nice brown’s to 2lb+ from the boats in the South basin. Also Peter Johnson from Lancaster fished from the boats and enjoyed hectic sport taking 7 Trout to just under 2lb on small wets and Muddler pattern’s.

Even though the water has cooled now its still the worm and spinning tactics that are most effective!

David Greasby from Liverpool float fished worm and landed 6 nice fish around the pound mark, again from the boats. Anthony Taylor also fished worm from the boats and landed 5! Frank Jones from North Wales also landed 4 nice fish with the best tipping the scales at just under 3lb!

On the spinner Alistair Hargreaves took 5 Trout to 1.5lb from the boats and John Parks from Kendal landed 3 and reportedly lost a monster double figure Brown Trout at the net from the Swimming Pool in the North basin!

Best areas at present include the boathouse banking on the Eastern bank, Smoothbeck shore and Swimming Pool in the North basin. In the South basin the ticket office frontage and Strickland bay are fishing well!

We still have places left for our last discounted fly fishing tuition day of the season on Saturday 16^th July if anyone is interested? The session starts at 10am and finishes at 2pm. It costs just £20 and is a great introduction for anyone that wants to start fly fishing. All tackle is provided and bookings must be taken in advance by telephoning Dave on 015394 36541.

The Coarse fishing is on fire at the moment. They have all spawned now and are ravenous and bags of 30-40lb are not uncommon! Day tickets cost just £10 and long range feeder with maggots and groundbait reign supreme in the tactics department!

Don’t forget to keep up with all the daily news on the fishing here at Esthwaite Water, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+!!

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M

FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT – 16/6/16

Despite the recent hot weather and cooking water temperatures, the lake has been fishing very well for the Trout. Fly anglers have sruggled with surface activity, however fish have been coming to the surface to feed for brief intervals during the mornings and late evenings. There’s plenty of fly life about, buzzer, alders, sedge and damsels all hatching in abundance. Worm fisherman on the other hand have been doing very well indeed, due to the fact the Trout have been predictably holding deep and presentation at 20 feet down is achievable all day long!

John Parks from Preston fished from the boats and landed 9 Brown Trout on float fished worm. Stanley Bishop from Shrewsbury fished similar tactics and landed 5 nice fish to 2lb+. Arthur Peterson from London also fished deep from the boats and landed 7 brownie’s.

From the banking Hawkshead Angling Club member Harry Poxon landed 4 nice Trout on legered worm from the bank. Meanwhile Chris Brant and Steve Bool from Surrey landed 24 Trout between them on legered worm!

One or two fly anglers have got amongst the fish when conditions have been right! Dave Driscoll from South Wales fished cats whisker on a Hi-d line from the boats and took 5 nice fish, one being an over wintered beauty of 3lb+. Also Reg Holden from Berkshire fished deep with buzzer patterns and landed 4 Trout.

Last weekend we hosted the Esthwaite Water Kayak Grand Slam competition. 31 anglers fished the competition and most of the contestants managed the Grand Slam of catching all three species of Trout, Pike and Perch. So the whole weekend of camaraderie was a resounding success!
In third place was Chris Mccauley with 143cm. In second place was Graham Busuttil with 157cm and Paul Fennell won the competition with an overall length of 158cm. Well done Paul, thats the second time he has won this competition, top angling mate!
Last but not least Ben Pickering won the junior section of the competition with an overall length of 58cm.Well done Ben!
A big thank you goes out to the competition sponsors Lowrance and Berley Pro for supplying some fantastic prizes!
Anyone interested in fishing next years Esthwaite Water Kayak Grand Slam should contact Sam Baxter on 07981987188.

Don’t forget folks that we are now open year round for general Coarse fishing. Day tickets cost just £10. This is a fantastic opportunity for the avid Coarse angler to target Esthwaite’s pristine Coarse fish stocks of Bream, Roach, Rudd, Perch and Eels. Pike fishing is NOT included and we still maintain a strict close season for the Pike from October 1^st until 31^st March!

To keep up with all the very latest on the fishing here at Esthwaite Water please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+!

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M

FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT 11/5/16

The Trout fishing here at Esthwaite has been great recently. It’s not been easy , challenging is the word. But right up until the beginning of last week it was almost winter conditions. In the space of a week or so the weather has picked up. Water temperatures are on the rise and it’s an improving picture! There is plenty of surface activity. Buzzers and Alders are coming off the lake in numbers and there’s one or two damsels starting to appear!

All methods are working at present and there’s plenty of fish coming from both the boat and the bank! There’s still fish being taken in Stockie bay. Strickland bay is also worth a thrash! Up in the North basin Grubhole and Swimming pool are also the places to head for. Meanwhile from the bank. The car park banking is fishing well as is the point opposite the ticket office and the boathouse stretch on the Eastern bank.

Johnathon Taylor from Preston landed 4 nice brown’s to 2lb+ on sinking line and damsel nymph combo from the boats. Tim Jenkins from South Wales also had a great day on the boats, landing 3 nice fish on floating line and traditional wets, including butcher’s and Mallard and claret!

Harry Press from Manchester landed a brace of Trout on spinner from the boats, best fish tipping the scales at 2lb! Geoff Tutt from Southampton also landed a nice brace on worm from the boats!

Chris Williams also landed a brace on spinner from the boats. Meanwhile Chris Smith landed 3 again on spinning tactics from the boats!

Fishing from the bank Jack Green from Liverpool landed 3 to legered worm and last but certainly not least Tom Robertson from Manchester caught and released an estimated 15 Trout from the boathouse banking on legered worm!

Another 500 fish were stocked again yesterday so if you are planning a trip to Esthwaite, now is the time!

There are still places left for our discounted fly fishing tuition days. Dates include 29^th May, 4^th June and 16^th July respectively. The sessions start at 10am and finish at 2pm and only cost £20 each. Participants are provided with the tackle on the day, but you will need a brimmed hat and a pair of sunglasses with you. Also don’t forget a valid EA licence! If you have not got one, then you can purchase one here on the day!

To keep up with daily activity here at the fishery, please follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Google+. To book a boat or make enquiries please telephone Dave on 015394 36541.

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M

FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT – 1/4/16

TROUT FISHING

The lake received its first stocking on March 3^rd. With 750 top quality triploid Brown Trout stocked and another 750 went in the following week! Sport has been very good from the word go, with fish falling to all methods including  fly, spinner and worm . Both boat and bank anglers are doing well , but boat anglers are getting a higher success rate, with the freedom of movement as the newly stocked fish are still congregating in small shoals.

The South end of the lake is still fishing best and Stockie Bay and the car park are throwing up the most fish! However the Swimming Pool and the Grubhole in the North basin is also producing numbers of Trout.

Steve Watson from Wolverhampton fished from the boats and landed 4 nice brownies on floating line and buzzer combo. Peter Johnson from Windermere also opted for the imitative approach, fishing buzzers and hares ears, landing 7 Trout to 2lb+, again on a floating line set up!

Meanwhile Wigan based John Cooper landed 4 Trout, including an over wintered specimen of 4lb 8oz on worm from the car park banking. However the best fish so far has fallen to Ian Driscoll from Wigan who landed a cracking over wintered fish of 6lb 9oz and was taken on a spinner!

We still have places left on our discounted fly fishing tuition days, only £20 per head. Dates include 16^th April, 7^th May, 29^th May, 4^th June and 16^th July respectively. Please telephone Dave on 015394 36541 to book your place!

PIKE AND COARSE FISHING

What a cracking end to our Pike season we had with numerous double figure and twenty pound plus specimens reported on lures and deadbaits. Graham Dwyer from the Wirral boat fished using static deadbaits and landed a 10lb and a 16lb 1oz Pike. Steve Coward and George Johnson from Sunderland bank fished and landed specimens of 13lb, 15lb and 18lb 8oz. Season ticket holder John Ashurst landed a 16lb’er. Phil Pratt landed 4 Pike to 17lb 8oz on lures and deads from the boats. Nige Cooper fished from the boats and landed a jack , a 15 and an 18lb’er.

Geoff Carlson fished the boathouse banking and landed a jack and a 16lb 1oz fish. Paul Cooper from Hereford landed a 15lb’er on Herring. John Sherlock from Wallasey fished fly and took a jack and a 15lb’er from the boats. Mark Billington landed a 14, 2x 16lb’ers and an 18lb’er, again from the boats. Egidijus Anickas from Nelson landed 4 Pike to 15lb on lures from the boats. Jim Scott landed a 13, 14 and a 16lb’er on deads from the bank. Chris Harris had 3 doubles to 17lb on trolled lures. Ted Crush from Kent landed another 2 Pike to 18lb. Sean Whitaker landed 3 to 18lb. And Ian Bland landed 3 to 15lb on lures and deadbaits.

Geoff Birtwistle from Bury landed a personal best 21 pounder on Mackerel from the boats.(see attached photo). Last but certainly not least John Bradley landed 6 Pike including 2 x twenties. A 21lb 2oz and 21lb 4oz respectively on staic deadbaits.(see attached photo).

David Coleman M.I.F.M – FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT – 5/2/16

TROUT FISHING

With all the recent disruption of the floods,  numbers of Trout anglers have been thin on the ground. However one or two anglers have fished off the car park swim in recent weeks and had a few over wintered fish to 4lb on legered worm!

Just to let you all know the lake will receive its first stocking on Thursday March 3^rd!

PIKE AND COARSE FISHING

Despite the recent wet weather the Pike and the coarse fishing has been spectacular! Water temperature have remained high for the time of year and plenty of anglers have had their string pulled as a result!

Gaz Hodgson from the Wirral fished static deadbait from the boats and landed a cracking 22lb 8oz fish. Dave Bleese from Southport also fished deadbait and landed Pike of 15 pound and 21 pound respectively .

Meanwhile Andrew Dennet from Preston landed a personal best 20lb 30z Pike on a lure with one of the Esthwaite guides. Danny Stott also caught a 15lb 4oz fish which fell to static deadbait.

Terry Kenyon bank fished off the popular car park swim and landed a 20lb 8oz fish on a float fished Herring. Also fishing off the car park swim Dave Black fished Lamprey section and took a personal best 28lb 4oz lunker! (see attached photo).

Hawkshead Angling club members Roger Byron and Harry Poxon  fished the boathouse stretch on the Eastern bank and landed fish of 21lb and 22lb respectively! These boys used a bait boat to access very deep water and took both their twenties on static Mackerel deadbaits!

Also getting in on the action was Mathew Wright from Warrington. He landed a 12 and a 15 pounder. One on a lure and the other on deadbait! Darren Ward fished from the car park banking and took a nice double of 14lb!

Meanwhile Ian Driscoll from Wigan fished from a boat with one of the Esthwaite guides and landed a 15 pounder on a lure and another of 19lb 8oz on a trolled deadbait! (see attached photo)

Don’t forget our Pike season finishes on 31^st March and we offer a guiding service until then. If you would like to book a day with one of our professional guides then this must be done in advance by telephoning Dave or Alex on 015394 36541. Or alternatively you can email us on trout@hawkshead.demon.co.uk.

The mild weather  and overcast conditions has produced fantastic bags of 30lb+, of Roach, Rudd, Perch and Bream, to long range feeder tactics. The point opposite the ticket office and the boathouse stretch on the Eastern bank have both fished consistently well and don’t forget we are now open all year for for general coarse fishing!

Best Regards, David Coleman  M.I.F.M , FISHERY MANAGER.

Esthwaite Water Trout Fishery Report 19/12/15

I would firstly just like to say, we have survived the recent flooding caused by hurricane Desmond and the roads are completely clear, so its business as usual. Also we are open throughout the festive period, the only day the fishery will not be attended is Christmas day. So if you are one of the die hard’s then just pop your money through the café letter box and enjoy your day out!

Trout Fishing

Not allot to report on the Trout fishing as the recent bad weather has kept angler visits down!

There was one chap from St Helen’s, Peter Lord who had a couple of nice brownies just in front of the ticket office. Fishing from the boats with sinking line and booby combo’, Peter landed fish to 2lb+.

Pike and Coarse Fishing

Once again and despite the bad weather the Pike fishing has been exceptional with many double figure specimens reported, including a few 20 pounders!

Hawkshead Angling Club member Harry Poxon did well last week, fishing on the Eastern bank and landed 2 nice fish to static Mackerel deadbaits! He landed an 18lb 8oz and a personal best 25lb 7oz Christmas cracker!

Ian Driscoll from Wigan fished from the boats with the Esthwaite guides and landed a 16 and a 22 pounder, again static deadbaits produced the goods.( see attached photo) These were Ian’s first ever Pike. So if you fancy a days guided Pike fishing, please do not hesitate to contact us. It could be the best day’s fishing you have ever had!

Simon Goodman from West Sussex fished herring from the car park swim and landed a 17 pounder. Meanwhile Chris Bell from Preston also had a 17 pounder on deadbait from the boats!

Again from the car park peg Pete Farrow from Preston landed a 22 pounder (see attached photo), caught on a joey Mackerel. Also landing a 20 pounder and a 16 lber, Dave Gardner from Newcastle was successful from the boats!

The mild weather has kept water temperatures up and the general Coarse fishing has been very good with plenty of 20-30lb+ bags taken on long range feeder tactics. Don’t forget we are now open all year for the silver fish and tickets cost just £10!

As this will be the last report of the year, I would like to thank all our customers for their continued support. We wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous new year. Tightlines for 2016!

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M

FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT – 20/11/15

TROUT FISHING

The trout fishing has slowed down abit now, however for those that have been out and about, there have been a few caught. There are still a few buzzers and the odd sedge hatching, however coarse fish fry have been top of the Trout’s menu in recent weeks!

Johnathon Law from Preston fished cats whisker on a sinking line and landed 3 nice brown’s to 2lb+ from the boats. Meanwhile Stuart Howes from Carlisle fished zonkers on a sinking line and landed 2 nice Trout to 3lb, again from the boats.

Graham Jones from North Wales fished from the car park banking and landed a cracking 4lb+ specimen and Dave Williams from Barrow landed a nice 5 pounder on spinner from the boats!

The Trout fishing is still well worth a go with the mild weather still with us. Best areas include the ticket office frontage, Strckland Bay, Grubhole and Swimming Pool fishing best!

PIKE and COARSE FISHING

The Pike fishing is still red hot with plenty of fish succumbing to deadbaits and lures and both the bank and the boats are fishing well!

Nige Cooper had a great day out with Geoff Waites landing an 18 and a 22 pounder from Weather Bay on static deadbait. Nige also had 2 fish to 12lb on lures the week before.

Big s club member Reece Nicholson from Carlisle continues his great run of form with another twenty at 21lb 15oz from the car park banking on Herring. (see attached photo).

Meanwhile Grand Slam winner John Ashurst took a 20lb 2oz Pike on a lure first cast of the day! (see attached photo). John also had another 3 fish to 15lb the following week.

Another Big S club member Paul Mattinson from Keswick landed an 11 and a 15 pounder on trolled deadbaits. Jamie Murray landed a 19 pounder on herring from the boats. Jack Harris from Barrow landed a 15 pounder on static deadbait.

Ian Bland has landed a series of doubles in recent weeks to 15lb on lures. Anthony Bolton from Preston landed 5 fish from the boats, including 3 doubles to 15lb on lures! Mark Billington landed a 12 pounder to static dead’s!

Hawkshead Angling Club member Harry Poxon landed a 17 pounder on a Trout deadbait from the boats and last but not least Nigel Parker from Leed’s landed 8 doubles to 15lb+ over 2 days!

The general coarse fishing still remains very good with plenty of bags to 30lb+, mainly of Roach, Perch and skimmers. Best pegs at present include the point opposite the ticket office and the boathouse stretch on the Eastern bank!

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M – FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT – 15/10/15

TROUT FISHING

The trout have been hacking into the fry and have been caught on all methods fly , spinner and worm! The boat fisherman have seen the best of the action with Swimming Pool, Grubhole and Four Tree bay seeing the best of the action!

 Tim Roberts from Preston fished intermediate lines and cats whisker to land 4 cracking brownies to 3lb+. John Knight from Darlington also fished fry patterns on a sinking line and took 3 Brown Trout to 2lb+.

Meanwhile Peter Parker from Lancaster fished spinner and worming tactics and landed 3 nice fish to 1lb 8oz. Gary Sparks from nearby Barrow in Furness also landed 3 nice fish to 2lb+ on similar tactics!

Prospects for the forthcoming weeks looks excellent, with all this mild weather about. But don’t forget there is a strict catch and release policy on the Brown Trout until 15^TH March!

PIKE AND COARSE

The Pike fishing has been fantastic.We have had the best start to our Pike season in recent years with many fish being reported to 20lb+. Lures and deadbaits have both been working well!

Ben Mathews landed a brace of 13 pounders on static deadbait from the boats. Also Drew Mcwilliam fished lures from the boats and took 5 nice Pike to 21lb 8oz! Ian Bland landed a nice 15 pounder to lures, again from the boats!

John Hine took 6 to 16lb on fly, again from the boats. Meanwhile Alex Roberts and Barry Robinson landed 5 to 14lb on lures.

Fonz Howard landed 2 to 15lb on deadbait from the bank. Chris Harris took 6 to 15lb on lures from the boats. Andrew Gaunt landed 5 to 14lb on lures from the boats. To cap it off Reece Nicholson from Carlisle has landed many Pike on static deadbait to 21lb from the car park banking (see attached photo).

The Coarse fishing has been very good recently, with 20, 30 and in some cases 40lb+ bags being reported. We are now open year round for the coarse fishing and tickets are only £10. Quiver tipping and long range feeder tactics have been the best approach, with the car park and the boathouse on the Eastern bank being the best pegs at present. One angler that had a successful session was North East specialist Simon Ashton, who landed 40lb+ of Roach, Perch and skimmers! (see attached photo).

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M

FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT – 14/8/15

The trout continue to hold deep as they invariably do at this time of year, so sinking lines are preferable at present. Early mornings and evenings have been the best times to fish top of the water tactics. Hatches of buzzer, damsels and sedge have been prolific with the warm weather, we have experienced of late! The lake is also stuffed with Coarse fish fry at the moment and so fry patterns are also a good bet  with Cats Whisker, Floating fry and Zonkers all great patterns to employ at the moment. With this in mind the best areas to fish have been Grub hole and the weather buoys in the North basin and where the old cages used to be in the South basin!

One angler that had a great day out on the boats was Peter Chapman from Carlisle. He fished around the weather buoys and caught 7 nice Brown Trout to 4lb+ on a combination of fry patterns and traditional wets. John Taylor from Ambleside also fished similar tactics and did well from the Grubhole area of the lake, landing 5 nice Trout to 2lb!

Because the Trout have been residing in deep water , the bank fishing has been tough. But for those switched on anglers fishing areas like the point opposite the ticket office and the Swimming Pool in the North basin, sport has been good. Indeed Dave Farlow from Essex fished spinner and worming tactics and recorded 4 brownies to 2lb+ and Alan Davidson from Preston who fished the car park area of the lake from the bank recorded 6 fine Trout on legered worm.

Prospects for the forthcoming weeks looks very good indeed. As we head into September the Trout will venture back nearer to the surface and fry bashing will commence in earnest. Hatches of buzzer and sedge as well as falls of daddies will also provide hectic sport from the bank and the boats!

Also don’t forget we are now open for general Coarse fishing. Esthwaite Water boasts some incredible Coarse fish stocks with Bream, Roach, Rudd, Perch and Eels. All of which grow to specimen size. Tickets to Coarse fish are £10. Best methods include feeder tactics and sliding waggler for best results! One angler that had a storming day last week on the Coarse fish was local rod Simon Mckenna who fished on the tip and recorded a 20lb+ bag from the car park swim, that included a couple of Roach over the 2lb mark. Great action by anybodies standards! Please contact Dave or Alex on 015394 36541 for more information.

Also for all the very latest information please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+!

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M

FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT 21/7/15

The trout fishing has been tough during the heatwave. Fish did their usual migration to the deep water and were feeding almost exclusively on Daphnia and as a result were very tricky to catch. The weather is cooling now and its an improving picture with fish venturing to the surface in the mornings and evenings again feeding on buzzer , sedge and damsels!

Due to the depth the fish were residing (10-25 feet down), worm predictably out fished any other method . Indeed 9 year old Joe Buxton from South Wales fished worm deep around the weather buoys and landed 5 nice brownies to 2lb+. Peter Jenkins from Nottingham also landed 5 brownies on similar tactics from the North basin too.

Spinning tactics have also been producing the goods of late, as Darren Golden  from Rochdale found out. He fished from the boats and landed 7 trout to 2lb+ on a 3cm Rapala in the South basin!

Meanwhile Ross Anderson from Arbroth fished fly and spinner and landed 4 browns to 1lb 8oz. John Jones from North Wales also landed 5 browns to cats whisker fished on a Di-7 sinking line!

Providing the weather continues to cool expect sport to improve no end. Another 500 top quality triploid Brown Trout were stocked again last Friday!

For all the very latest information please follow us on Facebook and Twitter. To book your boat during the busy school holiday period, telephone Dave or Alex on 015394 36541.

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M

FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT – 12/6/15

The trout fishing has been excellent recently with good bags of fish coming from both the bank and the boats and on all methods, fly , spinner and worm! There’s plenty of fly life coming off the water. There’s plenty of Damsels, Alders , olives and buzzer coming off the water, however fly fishing has been best first thing in the morning and last thing in the evenings. Best areas of the lake at present are Stockie Bay, Strickland Bay, Weather Bay and Swimming Pool!

Hawkshead Angling Club member Neville Jameson had the best recent fish taken on a buzzer pattern from the boats and tipped the scales at just over 5lb! Peter Turner from Preston fished cats whisker on a sinking line and landed 6 brownies to 4lb from the boats!

Fishing spinner from the boats Jimmy Whittaker landed 5 Trout to 3lb+ and David Johnson from St Helens managed 4 to spinner also!

Employing worming tactics Johnathon DaviS landed 5 browns to 2lb from the boats and Gary Tomlinson landed 4 nice ones to 2lb+ from the car park banking. So plenty of action recently and the cold and unsettled May helped keep the water temps’ down and the fishing very good!

The Esthwaite Kayak Grand Slam 2015 was held recently and what a turn out we had. It was fished over 2 days and anglers had to catch Trout, Perch and Pike. 35 anglers fished the competition and in 3^rd place Ben Quinn submitted a length of 157cm. In 2^nd place Eddie Turner submitted a length of 158cm and the winner was Mike Redding with an overall length of 175cm.(see attached photo)

The following weekend we held the Esthwaite Boat Grand Slam 2015. This was similar to the kayak event, however it was a pairs competition and again was a multi species event held over 2 days! 26 anglers fished the event, 13 pairs. In third place Andy Sharpe and Tom Sharpe, alias team Sink ‘em submitted a length of 132 inches. In second place Karl Ashurst and Adam Wade alias team Sambo Perch submitted a length of 133.5 inches and the winners for the second year running were Stuart Fazackerley and John Ashurst alias team Top Rods with an overall length of 181.25 inches. A big thank you goes out to the event sponsors Savagear and Masterline for providing some fantastic prizes!(see attached photo)

We still have places left for the discounted fly fishing tuition days to be held on Sunday 28^th June and Saturday 4^th July. These sessions start at 10am until 2pm and cost £15 per person. Participants must bring with them a hat and a pair of sunglasses. Bookings must be made in advance by telephone 015394 36541.

For the latest on the fishing please follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M

FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT – 15/5/15

The Trout fishing is on top form at the moment. All method’s, fly spinner and worm producing from both the boats and the bank! There is plenty of fly life coming off the lake, buzzer’s, olive’s, Alder’s and a few Damsel’s starting to show. However for the purist, first thing in the mornings and evenings have been favourite for surface fishing with suspender buzzer’s and small black dries doing the business!

Best areas on the lake at present include, stockie bay, Strickland bay, weather bay and the swimming pool!

Best recent fish was an 8lb Brown Trout caught by Rob Hewitt from Sunderland. Rob caught and returned this magnificent fish from the boats on a spinner in stockie bay at the South end of the lake!

Other catches include John Gibbons from Kent. He boat fished traditional wets including Pearly Whickhams and Black Pennell on an intermediate line and landed 6 nice chunky brown’s to 2lb!

Peter Stone from Glasgow fished Cats Whisker on a sinking line and landed 5 brownies to 1lb 12oz, again from the boats!

Meanwhile Geoff Jones from Glamorgan landed 8 nice Brown Trout from the boats on worm and spinning tactics!

Bank anglers have been doing well also. Reg Unsworth from Preston landed 6 brownies on legered worm from the car park banking. Hawkshead Angling Club member Dave Telford landed a nice brace off the café benches. One on spinner and one on worm!

Another HAC member  Ken Lomax took another brace in quick succession on spinner from the entrance to stockie bay! (see attached photo)

Don’t forget that we are still running our discounted fly fishing tuition days again this year and we still have places available for Sunday 17^th May, Sunday 28^th June and Saturday 4^th July! These sessions start at 10am and run until 2pm. The cost is £15 per person and participants must bring with them a brimmed hat and a pair of sunglasses for protection! Please contact Dave or Alex on 015394 36541 to book your place. These taster sessions are ideal for anyone who would like to take up fly fishing. A great introduction, that’s for sure!

Also for all you kayakers out there, don’t forget our Kayak Grand Slam competition this year will be held on Saturday 30^th and Sunday 31^st May. Permitted methods include fly, artificial lure and worm. You must catch Pike, Perch and Trout to complete the slam. Interested participants must contact Sam Baxter on 07981 987188 for more information and entry forms!

For up to date information and catches please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+!

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.FM

FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT – 20/2/15

TROUT FISHING

For all you Trout anglers out there, the lake will receive its first stocking of Trout at the beginning of March. Please keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages for the exact date, but the Dunsop Bridge Trout farm has assured us that it will be either the 2^nd or 3^rd March!

PIKE FISHING AND COARSE FISHING

The fishery is on fire at the moment regarding the Pike fishing. The water temperatures are very low at the moment so static dead baiting is accounting for the bulk of catches!

Dirk Robinson fished the car park banking and landed a 17lb 15oz fish on static dead bait. Big s club member Matt Mclean took to the boats and landed a 12lb 11oz and a 14lb 6oz respectively. Alan Brand and Stuart Ferguson from London fished 5 days from the bank and landed 9 Pike to 13lb 8oz, again on static dead bait. Meanwhile Alistair Paisley from Carlisle fished from the car park banking and took a 19lb 6oz specimen! Steve Bosacki from Huddersfield  also fished the car park banking and landed a 20lb 8oz fish.

Big s club member Reece Nicholson has been in good form bank fishing with dead baits and has taken fish of 15lb, 15lb 10oz, 16lb 8oz another 3 low doubles and a jack Pike! Hawkshead Angling Club member  Fonz Howard also fished from the banking in the North basin and took 2 nice doubles of 15lb 10oz and 17lb 8oz. Meanwhile Gary Nevinson from Widnes fished from the boats and landed a 15 pounder on a lure and a 23 pounder on dead bait! Stuart Fazackerley from Wigan landed a 14lb’er on Smelt from the boats. Another Hawkshead Angling Club member Harry Poxon from Milnthorpe bank fished at the boathouse stretch on the Eastern bank and landed a 19 pounder and 2 jacks on static dead bait. Tim Farnham fished from the car park banking and landed a 14 pounder on dead bait. Again from the car park banking Philip Price landed a 14lb’er and a 20lb 8oz fish on static dead bait.

The Esthwaite guides have been successful of late steering clients to some nice Pike captures! Indeed Philip Pratt from Leeds landed a cracking conditioned 21 pounder from the boats to static dead bait (see attached photo). Meanwhile Chris Wells and Steve Walker from Huddersfield were guided to a successful day in the boats, taking fish of 9lb, 11lb, 13lb and 24lb 5oz respectively. All fish fell to static dead bait! (see attached photo)

The general coarse fishing is still going very well with some nice bags to 30lb taken by some anglers. Best pegs include the point opposite the ticket office and the boat house stretch on the Eastern bank! The coarse fishing tickets for the silver fish, Perch and Bream are available until 14^th March and the cost of a day ticket is still £10!

For all the very latest captures please find us on Facebook and Twitter!

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT 15/1/15

TROUT FISHING

For all the Trout anglers out there, stocking will commence at the beginning of March!

Also we have the dates for the discounted fly fishing tuition for 2015. They are Sunday 22^nd March, Saturday 18^th April, Saturday 2^nd May, Sunday 17^th May, Sunday 28^th June and Saturday 4^th July. The sessions will start at 10am and finish at 2pm. The cost is £15 and participants must bring a hat and a pair of sunglasses for protection. All tackle is provided. Please contact the fishery for more details. Bookings for these days must be in advance!

PIKE AND COARSE

Despite the disruptive weather recently, the Pike fishing has been on top form, with fish succumbing to lures and dead baits. Both bank and boat anglers alike have been enjoying great sport, however boat anglers are reporting the bulk of the action.

Big s club member Chris Harris reported a nice 13lb specimen, taken on a trolled lure from the boats. Meanwhile Ashley Gray from Bolton fished from the boats and reported a 17lb’er on a lure and a 16lb’er on a Mackerel dead bait. Another Big s club member Ian Spence from Barnard Castle landed a 7lb’er and a 13lb’er on static Bluey from the boats.

Phil Pritchard was fishing with one of the Esthwaite guides and landed a 13lb’er on static dead bait and a 15lb’er on a lure, again from the boats. Season ticket holder Stuart Fazakerely from Wigan landed an 11lb’er and a 13lb’er on Smelt dead bait. Local rod Mat Mclean also fished from the boats and landed a jack and a 17lb 13oz snapper, to Mackerel dead bait. Meanwhile the best recently reported fish fell to John Roberts from Preston. John fished from the boats and took a nice brace of fish weighing at 18lb and 22lb 4oz respectively. Both fish fell to static herring! Chris Hayhirst from Manchester again fished from the boats and landed a 15lb specimen!

Not to be out done bank anglers Ian Clifford and Andy Butcher landed a jack, a 10lb’er, a 13lb’er a 17lb 10oz and a 17lb 12oz, all to static sea baits. Meanwhile Big s club member Reece Nicholson landed a fine 19lb+ specimen from the car park banking on static Herring! (see attached photo).

The general Coarse fishing on the lake is still doing very well and bags of 20-30lb have been reported regularly. Remember day tickets for the coarse fishing only cost £10. Maggots and ground baiting is permitted and tickets are still available until 14^th March!

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M

FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT – 17/12/14

TROUT FISHING

Despite a big water temperature drop over recent weeks, the Trout fishing is still worth a go, especially during milder conditions. There are still some good buzzer hatches, however for consistent results the sinking line and lure approach is much more productive at this time of year. Especially with the number of fry that are shoaled up tight in the deeper water.

One angler that fished from the boats and managed a nice brace of fish was Phil Green from Consett who fished the North basin and landed fish to 2lb on a Di-3 and fry patterns. Meanwhile HAC member Pete Welbourne also fished fly from the boats and landed 3 fish to 1lb 8oz.

John Prichard from Wrexham fished the banking at the boathouse stretch on the Eastern bank and landed 4 brownies up to 2lb on a combination of worm and spinning tactics. All John’s fish were returned!

PIKE AND COARSE FISHING

Some nice Pike have been getting caught recently on both lures and dead bait!

Season ticket angler Geoff Birtwistle from Bury fished from the boats and landed a nice plump double of 12lb to static Mackerel dead bait. Meanwhile Big s club member Matt Mclean took a 15lb 4oz beauty, again on static dead bait from the boats. Steve Hincks and Darren Lord from Blackpool have also been consistently catching from the boats with lures and have reported fish into double figure in recent weeks!

Bank anglers have been getting their string pulled too. Indeed Reece Williams from Carlisle managed 4 fish in one day up to double figures, from the car park banking. However best recent capture was by Big s club member Luke Doyle from Manchester who landed a cracking 25lb specimen from the Strickland Ease banking on the Western shore of the lake. Luke’s fish was taken on static Mackerel dead bait (see attached photo).

Coarse anglers are stilling hauling with 20 lb bags commonplace to feeder and maggot tactics. Best swims are the boathouse banking on the Eastern shore and the point opposite the ticket office. Don’t forget general silver fish day tickets are only £10 and are available until 14^th March!

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M

FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT – 30/10/14

TROUT FISHING

We have experienced some good back end Trout fishing on the lake. With warm autumnal weather there has been some good hatches of buzzer and sedge. Fry feeding is also evident and there have been some good reports. The best area on the lake at the moment is in the North East quarter, up near the weather buoys, the boathouse and swimming pool .

Peter Shepard from Stirling boat fished around the weather buoys and landed 3 nice brownies on a Di-3 line and Kate Mclaren traditional wets. Meanwhile John Roberts from Preston fished black pennel and wickhams fancy in conjunction with an intermediate. Again from a boat and again from the same area of the lake!

Liam Johnson from Hull fished with his son Graham and landed a total of 5 brownies on spinning and worm tactics from the boathouse banking and Peter Ashgrove from Kent landed another 4 brownies from a boat on float fished worm, again up in the North basin.

As long as the weather stays mild, prospects look good for the next few weeks, however I must remind anyone visiting the fishery that there is a strict catch and release policy at this time of year for the Brown Trout and that continues throughout the winter months up to and including 14^th March!

PIKE FISHING

The Pike fishing is really good at the moment after the prolonged dry and warm summer. There is plenty of fresh water in the lake now and this has really set the Pike off on a feeding spree!

Big s club member Reece Nicholson fished the car park swim with static herring and landed 3 nice doubles to 16lb 9oz.Meanwhile James Murray landed 2 doubles on lures from the boats,upto 15lb with a guide.

 Barry Brookes from London took to the boats and landed 5 nice Pike on lures and trolled deadbaits. The best fish tipping the scales at 15lb.

James Neilson from Aberdeen fished from the boats for 2 days for 4 Pike on lures and deadbaits and took a beauty of 21lb exactly.

Andrew Costello from London fished with an Esthwaite guide and landed 2 nice plump doubles of 14lb and 17lb respectively on trolled lures up in the north basin.

However the best reported fish so far this season was taken by local rod John Hicks from Grange whose only fish of the day was a 27lb lump, taken from the car park swim on static joey mackerel, well done that man (see attached photo)

The coarse fishing has been on top form recently with perfect conditions of warm and overcast weather and 30lb+ bags have been commonplace. The boathouse stretch on the eastern bank and the point opposite the ticket office have been favourite. Don’t forget its only £10 for coarse fishing permits and they will be available until the 14^th March. Best tactics continue to be long range feeder!

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M

FISHERY MANAGER

ESTHWAITE WATER TROUT FISHERY REPORT – 9/10/14

TROUT FISHING

After one of the driest periods experienced in a long time we, at last, have had some much needed rainfall here in the Lake District. Water temperatures are cooling nicely and there is a general improvement across the board with some good sport reported!

Neil Hurst from Tewksbury fished from the boats in the North basin and reported 3 nice autumn brownies to 2lb 12oz, who were preoccupied with fry feeding and fell to a combination of sparkler and cormorants on a Di-3 line. Also employing fry patterns, this time on an intermediate line, Pat M’lusley from Paisley in Scotland fished from the boats and landed 4 browns and a rainbow. All Pat’s fish came from the boathouse area of the lake! Also North East based angler Peter Crowe landed 6 nice brownies, again from the boats on an intermediate line and traditional wet fly combo’ from the boats.

The 2014 Esthwaite Pairs competition, held at the end of September was won by Ernie Craster and Peter Crowe. They landed 6 Brown Trout for 6lb 6oz. In second place Mike Frith and Clive Parry managed just 1 fish for 14oz. Winning tactics used by Peter and Ernie were traditional wets in conjunction with an intermediate line. Just like their practice day. Well done to both pairs who won some fantastic prizes that were up for grabs! (see attached photo)

PIKE FISHING

The start of the winter Pike season has got off to a flyer, with good numbers of fish reported on moving baits. Lures, fly and trolled deadbait’s are all fishing well. The static deadbait approach is still quite slow at present, however expect that situation to change as the cold weather sets in!

Big s club members Steve Hincks and Darren Lord from Blackpool had a great first couple of days fishing lures and fly from the boats. They landed in excess of a dozen Pike, well into double figures employing these ‘gun and run’ tactics.

The best reported fish so far was a cracking 24lb 4oz beauty taken by John Parks from Preston on a float trolled sardine.Roy Cunliffe from Bradford fished trolled bluey from the boats and took a fine conditioned 15 pounder. Meanwhile Alex Roberts from Wigan caught a 12 pounder on a lure, again from the boats!

Bank anglers employing static deadbaits have found it tough though. The water temperatures are still very high for the time of year and the fish seem to be up for moving baits at the moment. However one angler that did manage a mid double was Calvin O’Hara from Southport. The Big s club member fished a half Mackerel to take his only fish of the day!

For all the very latest information please log on to our Facebook and Twitter pages, tightlines!

Best Regards

David Coleman M.I.F.M

FISHERY MANAGER